CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The ninth-ranked women's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season, dropping a 4-1 decision to No. 14 Northwestern in the round of 16 at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Friday. With the loss, the Crimson Tide dips to 4-1 while the Wildcats improve to 3-2.

Northwestern grabbed the early edge after claiming the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. Alabama senior Alexa Guarachi and junior Mary Anne Macfarlane downed Wildcat senior Linda Abu Mushrefova and junior Nida Hamilton, 8-1, on court one before Northwestern took the 8-2 win on two and 8-4 victory on three for the point.

In singles, the Wildcats would win at No. 3 and No. 2 to take a 3-0 advantage in the match. From there, Guarachi got the Tide on the board with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, victory over junior Veronica Corning; however Northwestern would seal the win on court five with Mushrefova taking a 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory.